The present invention relates to coupling mechanisms and specifically to a coupler for joining and aligning complementary shaped ends of a pair of light transmissive media.
The processing of light images emanating from an original light source such as a fluorescent screen or the like often requires routing the original image through an appropriate light transmissive medium to another image processing device such as an image intensifier, television camera, or the like which resides in a location remote from the point of original reception of the light image. The light transmissive medium used in routing the original image typically requires coupling at some point to a complementary light transmissive medium which itself is connected to or routes the image to its ultimate destination. The intermediate coupling of separate light transmissive media is complicated by the fact that (a) the separate media must be coupled in such a way as to minimize and/or eliminate optical voids at the point of coupling, (b) the coupling of the separate media must be resistant to uncoupling due to vibration, shock or haphazard movement or physical manipulation of the coupled media, and (c) the coupler must or should not interfere or otherwise electromagnetically interact with the routed image.
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a joint for coupling separate light transmissive media which firmly joins the separate media, minimizes or eliminates the occurrence of optical voids between the mating surfaces of the separate media, and will not cause electromagnetic interference with a light image being transmitted through the media.